Journal lubricator



June 1951 E. ARMSTR N 2,5 6, 13

" JOURNAL LUB'RICATOR Filed Jan. 13, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. ARMSTRONG JOURNAL LUBRICATOR *///A//////f f/////// June 12, 1951 Filed Jan. 15, 1950 INVEN TOR. ERA/EST Amsr/mm June 12, 1951 E. ARMSTRONG 2,556 13 JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Filed Jan. 13, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet S I N V EN TOR. [RA/37 A/P/757RONG Patented june 12, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOURNAL LUBRICATOR Ernest Armstrong, Camden, N. J.

Application January 13, 1950, Serial No. 138,466

This invention relates to a journal lubricator and it is one object of the invention to provide a lubricator which may be fitted into a journal box of conventional form and serve very effectively to apply oil to the journal of a car axle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lubricator having a frame which is formed of strong wire, or other suitable material, and of such construction that when the lubricator is inserted into a journal box the frame will fit about -a journal in the box and application caused by the frame apply oil to the under portion of the journal from a supply of oil in the bottom of the journal box.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lubricator having a frame equipped with hangers carrying pads and wicks and pivotally mounted so that the pads may be urged towards opposite sides of a journal and held in position for applying oil to the journal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lubricator having its pads partially covered by perforated plates which bear against side portions of the journal, lower portions of the pads exposed below the plates and secured to supports which are pivoted to hangers and formed with arms constituting levers carrying weights which draw the levers downwardly and tilt the supports upwardly towards the under portion of the journal to which oil is to be applied.

Another object of the invention is to provide the lubricator with pads which are shielded from excessive wear and glazing by direct contact with a journal but have lower portions which are pressed against the journal for wiping engagement therewith and carry 7 depending fringes which remove oil from the bottom of a journal box by capillary attraction during use of the lubricator.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a lubricator which may be manufactured at low cost and is of light weight and capable of being easily inserted into a journal box or removed therefrom.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a view showing the improved lubricator in side elevation and mounted in a journal box in operative relation to the journal of a car axle.

Fig. 2is a view taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, the journal box being in section and the journal and the lubricator in top plan.

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken along the line 33 of Figure 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the improved lubricator. portions thereof being in section.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a plate and a 5 Claims. (0]. 308-88) companion weight by means of which thelower portion of a pad is urged upwardly intoengage ment with the lower portion of a journal. 1

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line l'! of Figure 2. I

The journal box I is of conventional form and size and is mounted in the usual manner in position to receivea journal2 at end of an axle 3. The usual door or closure 4 is provided forclosing the outer end of the journal box and is releasably held closed in any desired manner. A sump 5 is formed at the bottom of the journal box and this sump is filled with a supply of oil 6. The improved lubricator constituting the subject matter of this invention servesfor conveying oil from the bottom of the journal box to the journal and since it operates by capillary attraction oil will be removed from the sump but dirt and other impurities will remain at the bottom of thejournal box and not cause the journal to be scored. The lubricator has a frame I which is formed from a strand of resilient wire, and referring to Figure 5 it will be seen that the wire'strand is bent to form a cross bar 8 at the front end of the frame and side bars 9 projecting rearwardly therefrom and bent downwardly in spaced relation to ends of the cross bar, as shown at In to form downwardly offset portions I I. At rear ends of the downwardly offset portions II the wire strand is bent upwardly to form arms I2 having rearwardly curved upper ends and constituting hooks or eyes which merge into end portions of the strand, the said end portions being curved downwardly and towards each other and secured together as shown at l3 to form a downwardly bowed rear bar of dimensions adapting it to fit aboutthe lower portion of the journal. The dimensions of the frame are such that it may be disposed in the journal box in straddling relation to the journal, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and when the lubricator is in the journal box it is supported therein by lugs projecting from side walls of the box and engaging under forward portions of the side bars 9 and through the eyes or hooks l2. Midway its width the front bar is crimped to form. a forwardly projecting fingerhold or handle I6 of such size that it may be readily grasped and the lubricator thrust into or removed from the journal box. The door 2 carries a lug I! which engages under the handle and aids in supporting the lubricator.

At its opposite sides the frame carries yokes or hangers l8 which are of elongated U-shape and formed from strands of wire having end portions bent to form arms [9 terminating in eyes 20 which fit loosely about the offset portions I of the side bars 9 and pivotally mount the yokes. Pusher plates 2| extend longitudinally of the frame at is and have at their upper or outer sides tongues which are rolled to form hinge sleeves 24. A hinge pin or rod passes through the hinge sleeves of each hinge plate 21 and its ends project from the hinge sleeves and pass through sleeves 26 at lower ends of hinge strips 2?. The hinge strips 21 have their upper ends rolled to form sleeves 28 which fit loosely about the yokes l8 for swinging movement transversely of the frame, and each pair of hinge strips are secured to backing plates 29 by rivets 3G. The backing plates 29 are thus mounted for swinging movement transversely of the frame towards and away from opposite sides of the journal 2 and the pusher plates 2| are pivotally mounted for swinging movement inwardly and upwardly towards opposite sides of the under portion of the journal. An arm or lever 3| extends outwardly from each hinge plate 22 between the sleeves 24 and is rolled at its outer end to form a sleeve 32 through which passes a hinge pin 33. Each hinge pin 33 passes through companion sleeves 34 of a hinge plate 35 secured to a weight 36 by rivets 31 and since the weights are outwardly offset with respect to the pusher plates 21 and also with respect to the hangers l8 and the hinge strips 21 the weights will cause the backing plates 29 to be urged inwardly towards sides of the journal and the pusher plates 2| to be moved inwardly and upwardly into contact with the sides of the under portion of the journal.

Pads 38 which are formed of felt, or other suitable absorbent material, extend longitudinally of the frame and have upper portions secured against the inner faces of the curved backing plates 29 and their lower portions secured against inner surfaces of the flat pusher plates 22. It should be noted that lower marginal portions of the pads project from inner side edges of the pusher plates 2! and extend downwardly in spaced relation to flanges 39 formed along the said inner side edges of these plates. There have also been provided fringes or wicks 40 which are mounted between the pads and the pusher plates to which the pads are secured and extend downwardly' across the flanges 39, the wicks being formed of twisted fabric strands and of such length that they reach the bottom of the sump 5. Therefore during use of the lubricator oil will be taken up by the wicks and capillary attraction will carry the oil upwardly along the pads. Shields or wear plates 4|, which are formed of thick metal, are secured in covering relation to upper portions of the pads and are arcuate between their upper and lower edges so that they conform to the curvature of the backing plates 23 and the journal. Therefore the shields will fit closely against confronting side portions of the journal. Since the shields are formed with rows of'small openings or perforations 42 oil taken up by the pads may pass through the shields and be deposited upon the journal. The shields serve to prevent major portions of the pads from having direct contact with the journal and the pads will not become glazed by rubbing action of the journal, but lower portions of the pads are exposed for direct contact with the journal a short distance circumferentially of the journal and since depending lower edge portions of the pads are immersed in the oil, as well as the wicks or fringes 4! an ample supply of oil will be taken up from the bottom of the journal box and applied to the rotating journal. When cleaning or replacements are necessary the lubricator may be easily withdrawn from the journal box and also easily replaced.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. A journal box open at its outer end, an axle having a journal extending into said box through the inner end wall of the journal box and rotatable therein, and a lubricator for said journal comprising a frame fitted into said box through the open outer end thereof and disposed in straddling relation to the journal and having side bars disposed at opposite sides of the journal, hangers carried by said side bars, backing plates suspended from said hangers and mounted for swinging movement transversely of the journal, pads carried by said plates and having portions extending downwardly therefrom, pushers under said backing plates pivotally mounted and engaging lower portions of said pads, wicks carried by said pads and extending downwardly from said pushers in position for submersion in oil in the bottom of said box to feed oil to the pads, and weights urging said pushers and said plates towards said journal.

2. A journal lubricator comprising a frame of dimensions adapting it to fit into a journal box in straddling relation to a journal, said frame having side bars and inner and outer end bars, the inner end bar being bowed transversely of the frame for fitting about the journal, hangers extending longitudinally of the side bars and piveta-11y suspended therefrom, backing plates, hinge strips carried by said backing plates and pivoted at their upper ends to said hangers and mounting the backing plates for swinging movement inwardly towards the journal, pushers under said backing plates pivotally connected with lower ends of said hinge strips for swinging movement inwardly and upwardly towards the journal, arms extending outwardly from said pushers, absorbent pads mounted against inner faces of said backing plates and said pushers and carrying depending wicks, weights carried by said arms and drawing the arms downwardly to urge the backing plates and the pushers and said pads towards opposite sides of the under portion of the journal, and perforated face plates mounted against portions of the pads in front of said backing plates in position for face to face engagement with confronting side portions of the journal.

3. A journal lubricator comprising a frame of dimensions adapting it to fit into a journal box and having side bars adapted to be supported in the box at opposite sides of a journal, yokes suspended from said side bars, backing plates having hinge strip pivoted to said yokes and mounting the plates for swinging movement transversely of the frame, pusher plates under said backing plates having arms extending outwardly therefrom and hinge ears at opposite sides of the arms, pins passing through said hinge ears and lower ends of said hinge strips and pivotally mounting the pusher plates for swinging movement transversely of the frame, pads mounted against front faces of the backing plates and the pusher plates and having portions extending downwardly from the pusher plates, face plates covering portions of said pads in front of said backing plates, and weights suspended from said arms and urging the backing plates and the pusher plates towards the journal to maintain the face plates in face to face engagement with the journal.

4. Ajournal lubricator comprising a frame of dimensions adapting it to fit into a journal box and having side bars disposed at opposite sides 6 of a journal when the frame is in the box, backriers and constituting wicks, and weights caring plates suspended from said side bars and movried by the lower carriers in outwardly offset relaable towards and away from the journal, pusher tion thereto and urging the said upper and lower plates suspended from said backing plates and carriers inwardly towards a position for holding movable inwardly and upwardly, applicators car- 5 the applicators in engagement with a journal.

ried by the backing plates and the pusher plates ERNEST ARMSTRONG. and having portions extending downwardly in position for immersion in oil in the bottom of a REFERENCES CITED Journal and Welghts the backmg The following references are of record in the plates and the pusher plates inwardly towards a 10 file of this patent; position for holding the applicators in engagement with a journal. UNITED STATES PATENTS 5. A journal lubricator comprising a frame Number Name Date adapted to straddle a journal, upper and lower 1,052,243 Gregory Feb. 4, 1913 carriers pivotally connected with eachother and 15 2,132,420 Jones Oct. 11, 1938 pivotally mounted under opposite sides of said frame for swinging movement towards and away FOREIGN PATENTS from confronting side portions of a journal, ap- Number Country Date plicators carried by said carriers and having por- 74,860 Germany July 6, 1893 tions extending downwardly from the lower car- 20 83,996 Germany July 5, 1908 

